Salem-Area Tractor Supply Hosting FFA Fundraiser

FFA Week Donations Support Hundreds of Student-led Agricultural Projects in IN

The Salem-area Tractor Supply Company store will collect donations during National FFA Week to support grants for FFA chapters in IN.

During National FFA Week, Feb. 17 through Feb. 26, Tractor Supply shoppers can donate $1 or more at checkout. Donations will fund the Grants for Growing Program, which supports IN FFA chapters that are making a difference in their communities with unique and sustainable agricultural projects. The program is coordinated through a partnership with the National FFA Foundation and Tractor Supply.

“Through the commitment of our loyal customers and team members who raise money for the Grants for Growing program, Tractor Supply is excited to support IN’s FFA chapters that represent America’s bright future in agriculture,” said Christi Korzekwa, senior vice president of marketing at Tractor Supply Company. “When we invest in FFA students through this program we are making a great investment in the next generation of agricultural leaders.”

In 2016, the program’s first year, Grants for Growing raised more than $700,000, funding 374 grants supporting projects involving 39,038 students. Notable 2016 grant recipients included the Jemison, Alabama FFA chapter, which used program funding to construct an addition to its animal science lab to house show animals such as pigs, donkeys, rabbits and Texas Longhorn heifers. In Cedar Springs, Michigan, the local FFA chapter built a garden to provide the community with food donations, as well as help students learn more about raising vegetables.

Earlier this year, FFA chapters submitted applications detailing how they will start or expand a project that will benefit their communities and future FFA students. Funds have been requested to purchase vegetation, trees, seed, chickens, feed, mulch and tools, for projects ranging from greenhouses to aquaculture labs.

Winning FFA chapter initiatives will be awarded Grants for Growing in the spring. The minimum competitive grant amount is $500 for chapters. All in-store donations remain within the state in which they were raised.